Protection
by Tardis-in-mordor
Summary: Clary's father has escaped from prison and is coming after her to finish what he started. With her father out to murder her, Clary goes under the protection of Jace Herondale and his private security team. Will they be able to keep Clary out of harm's way?
1. He's Back

**I don't own anything related to the Mortal Instruments.**

* * *

Music blared loudly through the club's speakers as bright multicolored lights flashed through the fog on the dance floor. Clary struggled to make her way to the bar through the crowd of bodies moving to the beat. She finally fought herself free and made it to the bar where Simon was sitting with an amused smile on his face.

"Looked like you were having fun out there," he greeted her.

Clary glared at him and plopped herself down on an empty bar stool. "Shut up, Lewis. You know how much I hate dancing." She waved down the bartender and ordered two margaritas. One was for her and the other was for Izzy, Simon's girlfriend who had dragged them to Pandemonium to celebrate Clary's new job at the local art gallery.

Izzy suddenly materialized and picked up one of the margaritas before sitting on Simon's lap. Clary rolled her eyes and looked away when the couple started making out. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit club until they landed on a white-haired man in the back corner. His black eyes met Clary's and she instantly froze as a flood of memories entered her mind. She saw her mother's lifeless eyes looking back at her as blood pooled around her body. She saw her father staring at her with black, bloodshot eyes with a blood covered knife in his hand. She saw flashing red and blue lights. A yellow body bag. A cold cement morgue. A gray headstone. Her father standing behind bars, where he should be. She was pulled out of her memories as the man across the club winked at her and disappeared into the crowd of dancing people.

"Clary, are you alright?" Izzy asked, concern clear in her voice.

Clary turned to look at her friends. "Um, yeah. I just suddenly feel sick. I think I need to go home," she rushed out.

"Okay, we'll come with you," Simon offered.

"No!" she shouted and quickly lowered her voice slightly. "I mean, you two should stay here and have fun. I'll be fine." With that, she stood up and hurried to the exit.

Welcoming the cold New York air, Clary started the short walk to her apartment. Once inside the safety of her home, she pulled out her phone to call Luke only discover she already had five missed calls from him. She listened to one of the messages he left and her heart sank. "Clary, call me back as soon as you get this. It concerns your father."

The message meant it actually had been her father that she had seen in the club. Her father who should be in a maximum security prison. Her father who had murdered her mother right in front of her and then attempted to take her life, too. With shaking hands, she dialed Luke's number.

"Clary," he picked up with a sigh of relief after only two rings.

Before he could say anything else, Clary spoke. "I saw him, Luke."

"What? Where? When?"

"Ten minutes ago. I was at Pandemonium with Simon and Isabelle."

"What happened? Did he talk to you? What did he say?"

"Nothing, Luke. He was on the other side of the room, watching me. When I made eye contact, he winked and left. He _wants _me to know he's back. He wants me to know he's coming for me again, Luke. What am I supposed to do?"

"You're not going to do anything, Clary. Stay inside your apartment. Don't leave unless you have somebody else with you. I'm going to figure something out, okay? Just try not to worry about it, kiddo."

* * *

Clary sat on Luke's couch, nervously bouncing her knee up and down. It had been almost a week since her father had escaped jail and Luke had called her over, saying he finally figured out a plan. Luke sat down on the chair across from her and was silent for a moment.

"Listen, Clary," he started, "I know how much you love your independence, but you might have to give some of that up for your own safety."

Clary sighed heavily and looked at her adoptive father. "What are you talking about, Luke?"

He took a deep breath before continuing. "You know the Lightwoods, right? Isabelle's parents?" Clary nodded yes. "Well, they have a son who happens to own a very successful private security team and he's willing to help us out with our problem."

Clary look at him, confused. "Why does Alec have a security team?"

"It's not Alec."

Clary scoffed. "Well it's obviously not Max, either. Who else is there?"

"The Lightwoods have another son, an adopted son."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Izzy's never mentioned having another brother. Who is he?"

"Jace Herondale, the heir to Herondale Industries. Hence the security team."

"Okay... How is Jace Herondale's security team going to help us?"

"They're mainly going to be helping _you_. I'm not the one who needs protection. Anyway, they're willing to help protect you, too, but there's some conditions you might not be in favor of."

"Like?"

Luke looked away from her. "Well, they're main objective is to watch over Jace. In order to watch over you, you're going to have to move in with him until your father is caught. Jace is a popular public figure, not to mention the owner of a Fortune 500 company. He can't risk splitting up his security team, so you'll have to be in close proximity to him."

Clary narrowed her eyes at him. "What does that mean? Besides moving in with him. Do I have to follow him around all day? Go to work with him? Basically be his shadow?"

"Of course not! You'll just be more restricted to his home. You'll be able to leave it when you need to, like for work. But you won't really be able to leave for social calls."

"So no Simon or Isabelle?"

Luke looked at her with sad eyes. "No Simon or Isabelle. But, Clary, this is for your own good. You need to be willing to agree to this if you want to remain safe. We both know your father still has powerful connections all over the city. The only way to keep you away from harm is to take advantage of Jace's offer."

"So, what you're saying is that in order to be safe from murderous father who is out to finish what he started with me, I have to go live with some man I've never met and basically give up all my personal freedom for an indefinite amount of time."

"I know this isn't an ideal situation, Clary, but will you please do it?"

Clary smiled sadly at him. "I don't really have a choice, do I? When will I get to meet this Jace Herondale?"

"Tonight. I'll call him and have him come pick you up. I can go to your apartment and pack some things for you and bring them over. The sooner your under his protection, the better."

* * *

**Kind of a shitty first chapter but you should review anyway.**


	2. Herondale Manor

A knock came from Luke's door a few minutes before midnight. Clary's head snapped up and she looked at Luke. _Is that Jace?_ she mouthed. Ever since her father had escaped she constantly had to question who was at the door. Her father preferred sneak attacks, but that didn't mean he hadn't changed his tactics and decided to just show up on the doorstep. After all, he had made his presence obvious to her in the club. She had a feeling he wasn't trying to be discreet this time around.

Luke shrugged at her while quietly getting up and walking to the door. He pulled his gun out from his holster and held it at his side. Carefully, he glanced in the peephole on the door before visibly relaxing and placing his weapon on the table next to the door.

Clary watched as Luke opened the door and three strange men walked in. It wasn't hard for her to pick out the security guards; they were dressed in the cliché black suits with white collared shirts and had visible earpieces. Their facial expressions were blank and they stood with their wrists crossed in front of them. However, the man in the middle definitely stood out. He had shaggy golden blond hair and was dressed in a light gray pinstripe suit with a brick-red checkered shirt underneath. He was looking at Clary with amber eyes and a smirk on his face.

"You must be Miss Fray," he said with a honey smooth voice.

"And you must be Mr. Herondale," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. He'd only spoken one sentence to her and she already didn't like him. Arrogance rolled off of him in waves and she hated the way his eyes raked up and down her body.

"I am. But you can call me Jace." He turned his attention to Luke. "Is she all ready to go?"

Luke nodded. "She is. I'll bring her stuff over to your house later. I figured it'd be best if we got her to your place sooner rather than later."

Clary cleared her throat. "_She_ is standing right here and can speak for herself."

Jace looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "You know, I think talking about yourself in the third person raises some concern."

"Whatever," she said with an eye roll. "Let's just go." She walked over to Luke and hugged him tightly. "Stay safe," she whispered in his ear before releasing him and following Jace and his body guards outside.

* * *

She was led to sleek, black Mercedes SUV. One of the security guards opened the back door and she slid in next to Jace.

Fifteen minutes into the drive, she finally decided to break the awkward silence. "So... What made you agree to this?" she asked Jace.

Jace closed his eyes and put his head back onto the headrest. "I didn't agree to this for you, sweetheart, if that's what you're wondering. I agreed to it for Maryse."

"First of all, don't call me sweetheart. Second, what about Maryse?"

He sighed and turned to look at her. "Apparently Maryse and your father are really good friends and she asked me to look after you. She's done so much for me so I figured I should do something to pay her back."

"She's friends with my _father_?" she asked, shocked.

"Yeah. She's friends with Luke. How do you think she found out about your predicament?"

Clary paused for a second. Jace thought Luke was her father. That left another question for her to ask. "Do you know who you're protecting me from?"

"Of course! Valentine Morgenstern. Owner, or I guess now previous owner, of Morgenstern Law, one of the top law firms in the nations. He recently escaped from prison and there is reason to believe he is coming after you."

"Oh, well, I guess it's good that you're so informed about it," she replied. Though, she didn't understand why Luke and Maryse had failed to tell him that Valentine was her father.

"I would actually like to be more informed on the situation. Like, dear Clarissa, why would _the_ Valentine Morgenstern be coming after you?"

Her hand subconsciously moved to touch the scar on her abdomen from where her father had tried to stab her. "It's Clary. And let's just say he has some unfinished business with me."

"And what exactly would that unfinished business be?" he pressed.

"It's none of your business, Mr. Herondale," she snapped. "It's your job- No, it's actually your security team's job to make sure Valentine doesn't harm me. It, however, is nobody's job to pry into my life."

Jace raised his hands in mock surrender. "Wow, touchy subject."

Clary just crossed her arms and glared at him. It _was_ a touchy subject. The only person she had actually told about her father was Simon. Luke only knew because he was one of the cops who arrived at the scene and he had been kind enough to take her in after her father was put in jail. There was no way she was going to tell Jace Herondale, a complete stranger, about her biggest secret. After all, she had done all that she could to bury that part of her past. She had changed her last name, sold her family's old house, and put her inheritance into multiple bank accounts that were all under different names. She'd done her best to make sure she wasn't tied back to her father's name.

* * *

After another 30 minutes of silence they finally pulled up to Jace's home, which was more of a mansion than a house.

"Welcome to Herondale Manor," Jace said as the car came to a stop in front of the building. Another security guard opened the door and helped Clary out. Jace looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Aren't you going to comment on how impressive it is?"

Clary knew most people would be amazed by the size of his home, but her father was Valentine Morgenstern. She had grown up in a house bigger than his and had vacationed homes of equal size. "Eh. I've seen bigger," she said with a shrug.

"That's the first time a girl has ever said that to me," he replied with wink and went inside. Clary groaned and followed him. "Jordan," he addressed one of the security guards, "would you please give Clarissa a tour and show her to her room?"

Jordan nodded and turned to Clary. "Please, follow me."

He took her on the generic tour and showed her the kitchen, living room, dining room, and gaming room. He then showed her the security control room. The walls were covered with monitors that were hooked up to security cameras all over the property. "There will always be a guard in this room watching the monitors," he explained. "Even when Jace isn't home. We have to make sure that nobody tries to sneak in while he's out."

Clary nodded in understanding and Jordan led her to where the guest rooms were in the west wing. He took her to one at the end of the hall and opened the door for her. "This will be your bedroom for however long you stay. Jace wanted me to inform you that you should make yourself at home but to stay out of the east wing."

"Make myself at home but stay out of the east wing. Got it," she said with a smile.

"I see Jordan has finished the grand tour," a voice said from the doorway. Clary turned to find Jace standing there. "Jordan, you are dismissed." Jordan walked out of the room and Jace closed the door behind him.

"So, what's in the east wing?" Clary asked.

"My bedroom and home office. I prefer to keep that area of home private," he replied, leaning on the door. "Your father just dropped off your things. I'll have a maid bring them to you later."

Clary was stunned for a second. She still had to get used to Jace calling Luke her father. "O-Okay. Thanks."

He nodded and turned to open the door. "I'll just leave you to get settled."

"Um, Jace?" she called out and he paused in the doorway. "I just wanted to thank you for doing all of this."

He small smile formed on his face. "Don't thank me. Thank Maryse," he said before exiting and closing the door.

* * *

**Kind of a boring chapter but I promise it will get more interesting.**

**Reviews are always appreciated.**


	3. First Day

Three days of being trapped in Jace's house and Clary was barely surviving. Sure, she was pretty introverted before coming to Jace's, but she was isolated on a whole new level here. At least at home she had contact with the outside world. Clary wasn't even allowed to call Simon or Isabelle while she was staying at Jace's. In fact, her phone had been taken away from her and she was given a replacement that could only be used to call Jace, Jordan, and her new boss. The security team was afraid that Valentine would be able to track her with her old phone. As for Simon and Isabelle, Jace was afraid that Valentine would use them to get to Clary.

The only thing Clary was thankful for at the moment was the fact that she was starting her new job today. She didn't understand why she wasn't allowed to contact Simon and Isabelle but she was allowed to go to the art gallery in the middle of the city. Not that she was really complaining. Though, she was still going to be kept under a close eye when she was at work. Apparently the security team had gained access to the cameras in and around the gallery. She just wasn't sure about how legal their access was. There was also going to be a security guard located directly halfway between Jace's work and the gallery in case anything went wrong. She just hoped her new boss didn't take notice of any of the security measures taken out on her. She didn't feel like having to explain her situation to anybody else.

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts. She crossed the roomed and opened the door to reveal Jordan standing there with his hands clasped in front of him. "Are you ready to go Miss Fray?"

She nodded at him. "Just let me grab my stuff," she said. "And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Clary?"

He smiled shyly at her. "Sorry. I'm just not used to being on a first name basis with somebody I'm paid to look after. Mr. Herondale isn't a big fan of that."

Clary rolled her eyes as they walked out of her room and started down the hall. "I'm pretty sure Jace just gets a power high from being called Mr. Herondale."

Jordan started laughing but stopped abruptly when a new voice entered their conversation. "I do not get a power high, Clarissa," Jace stated. "I just think my employees should show me some respect."

Clary had to fight back a cringe. Her father was the only person who called her Clarissa. She quickly hid her discomfort. "Well, maybe you should find a way to earn respect instead of demanding it," she retorted.

Jace tsked at her. "Now, now, Miss Fray. Is that any way to speak to the man who kindly welcomed you into his home?"

That was another down side to living with Jace. Whenever he got the opportunity, he brought up how "kind" he was being by letting her stay with him. At first, it did make her feel bad, but now it was just getting on her nerves.

"We both know you're not doing this out of the kindness of your heart, Herondale," she said with a glare.

"That doesn't me you shouldn't appreciate me, my dear Clarissa."

"Stop calling me _that_!" she shouted, causing Jace to smirk.

"Hm. Touchy. Now I know just how to get under your skin, _Clarissa._"

With a huff, Clary stalked ahead of Jace and went outside. Standing next to the car, she waited for him and Jordan to catch up. When Jordan finally unlocked the doors she slid into the backseat and, much to her dismay, Jace climbed in next to her.

"So, Clarissa, are you excited for your first day of work?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm not going to talk to you until you stop calling me that."

"The silent treatment? Really? You're_ so _mature, Clarissa."

"Like you're one to talk about being mature," she scoffed.

A small smile appeared on his face. "I thought you weren't going to speak to me?"

"You're insufferable," she said, crossing her arms and turning away from him to look out the window.

It felt like months since she had seen the city even thought it had really only been a few days. She wanted nothing more than to just jump out of the car and walk the rest of the way to work. She wished she could actually see the city, not just blurs as they drove through the streets.

When they eventually pulled up to the art gallery Clary let out a sigh of relief before quickly clambering out of the car. Jace followed her out and walked her to the door.

"Stay safe, Clary," he said. "If anything suspicious happens don't be afraid to call me or Jordan, okay?"

"I'll be fine," she replied before opening the door and leaving him behind.

Inside the gallery she was immediately greeted by a man with graying hair and gray eyes. "Hello, you must be Miss Fray," he said with a smile and Clary nodded. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

He extended his hand out to her and she shook it. "It's nice to meet you ,too, Mr. Starkweather."

* * *

After being introduced to everybody in the gallery, Mr. Starkweather's unpaid intern, Sebastian, took Clary on a tour of the building. He showed her the main exhibits, Mr. Starkweather's office, the supply room, and the backroom that held all the pieces that weren't on display. Sebastian left her in the back room and, while looking through the pieces, Clary came across a painting that caused her to freeze. It was of a house that was all too familiar to her and the artist's style was one she would be able to recognize anywhere. Upon closer inspection she found her mother's signature in the bottom left-hand corner.

Clary swallowed against the lump in her throat. It had been years since she'd seen any of her mother's work. All of her paintings had been left in the Morgenstern's house and she hadn't set foot in the house since the incident.

"Beautiful painting, isn't it?" a voice suddenly asked from behind her.

Clary nodded. "It is. Why isn't it on display, Mr. Starkweather?"

"Miss Fray, please call me Hodge," he said, moving to stand next to her. "As for the painting, I had thought about putting on display years ago, but then tragedy struck in that very house and I no longer thought it would be appropriate to have it hanging in the gallery."

"What happened?" she asked. Hodge didn't know her real last name was Morgenstern. Nobody did except for Simon and Luke. She figured playing dumb about the incident would help conceal her identity.

"The artist's husband snapped one day and murdered her." He turned to her. "You actually look a lot like Jocelyn Morgenstern, Miss Fray. The resemblance is uncanny."

Clary stiffened. "That's weird. Can't say I've ever known a Jocelyn Morgenstern," she replied calmly.

"Not many people did know her. They were a closed off. Not too many people got close to them. Valentine Morgenstern was a high profile lawyer and liked to keep his family life private. I even heard they had a daughter who barely escaped with her life that night. Poor child. I can't even imagine what that must have been like for her."

"Neither can I," she said, studying the painting again. "Hodge, if you don't think you're ever going to display this, I was wondering if I could buy it from you."

"You really like it that much?"

"Well, yeah. Like you said, it's a beautiful painting, and something about it just calls to me."

"You know what? I'll just give it to you for free if you like it that much."

Surprised, she turned and looked at him. "Really?"

"Why not? If I don't give it to you then it will just sit here gathering dust. It should go to someone who appreciates it. Plus, I wouldn't feel right making money off of a a murdered woman's painting."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Starkweather," she grinned.

Just then, Sebastian reentered the room. "Hodge? There's a call waiting for you in your office. It sounded urgent."

Hodge excused himself and Sebastian turned his attention toward Clary.

"So, Clary, I never did get the chance to ask what your job here was," he said, moving closer to her.

She shrugged. "I'm just an art consultant. Hodge happened to see some of my pieces from when I was at NYU and thought I had a good eye for art. He said I might even be able to get my art shown in the gallery some day."

"So you're an artist?"

She set her mother's painting down, deciding to wait until she was in her own home again to take it, and headed to the door. "Yeah. Aren't you? I mean, aren't most art interns artists themselves?"

"Not necessarily. I just happen to have an appreciative eye for art. I took this internship to learn the ropes of the art business. I hope to maybe open a gallery myself one day," he replied, walking next to her. "You should show me your work some time."

Clary stepped away from him. Even though he was being nothing but nice to her, there was still something off about him. She didn't know why, but she just didn't have a good feeling about him.

"Maybe I will at some point," she smiled uneasily, "but right now I have to go ask Hodge what he wants me to do."

"Okay, Clary. I'll talk to you later. Maybe we could hang out after work or something?"

"I would love to, but I already have plans."

His eyes hardened and he looked at her skeptically. "And what might those plans be?"

"I don't think that's any of you're business, Sebastian," she said curtly before walking away, the uneasy feeling her stomach growing.

* * *

The bell above the door jingled and Clary glanced up to see Jace walk in. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here to pick you up," he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Her eyes widened. "Is it that time already?"

He nodded. "Jordan's waiting in the car."

She looked down at the papers spread out before her. Hodge had given her a large stack of photographs of different pieces of art and told her to pick out the best ones. He was looking to make new purchases and didn't want to waste his money on "bad art." Since then Clary had been scrutinizing every single photo. She guessed that she had gotten so caught up in her work that she had lost track of time. She had started to stack the photos when Sebastian walked in.

"Hey, Clary-" he immediately stopped upon seeing Jace. "Who's this?"

"Sebastian, this is Jace."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Jace, who was already glaring at him. "Well, anyway, Hodge wanted me to tell you that it's already if you need to take those photos home to finish. He just wants you to make sure you have your choices by the end of the day tomorrow."

"Alright. Would you mind telling him that I'm leaving and that if he needs anything else just to call?"

"Sure thing. I'll see you tomorrow, Clary," he replied before heading back to Hodge's office.

Clary grabbed her things and walked outside with Jace following closely behind. Once in the car, he turned to her. "Who was _that_?" he asked, distaste lacing his voice.

"Sebastian? He's just Hodge's intern," she said with a wave her hand.

"I don't want you around him, Clary."

"Well, Jace, that's going to be kind of hard considering we _work together. _Besides, it doesn't matter what you want."

"Actually, it does. I don't like him and I feel he might pose a threat to your safety."

"How can you possibly know you don't like him? You saw him for like five seconds and you two didn't even talk to each other."

"He just gives off a bad vibe, Clary. I'm serious. I don't want you hanging around any more than absolutely necessary. I don't care if you work together or not. I can always forbid you from going to work."

Clary had had enough. She knew living with Jace meant giving up a lot of freedom, but now it was getting ridiculous. Sure, she had gotten the same bad vibe from Sebastian as Jace did, but she didn't like how controlling he was being.

"Listen here, Herondale," she said in a deadly calm voice, "you do that and I swear to God I will walk out of this deal. I don't care if it means putting my life back in danger. You've already taken away most of my freedom, but you are not taking this away from me. This job is my one chance at a future as an artist and I am not about to let you ruin that all because you don't like some guy. Understand?"

"Whatever, _Clarissa_. Just know that when he turns out to be bad news, I will be waiting to say I told you so."

* * *

**Sorry for that late update. I meant to update way early but I got distracted with job applications and the SAT/ACT. **

**Reviews are always appreciated. **


	4. Clary's Rebellion

**So there should probably be a trigger warning for this chapter, just so you know.**

* * *

Clary walked into work with two coffees in her hands, one for her and one for Sebastian. Even though she still felt there was something off about him, she had been spending as much time as possible with him just to piss Jace off.

Sebastian was standing behind the front the desk, focusing on something on the computer when she walked in. She gently set on of the coffees down in front of him. When he didn't look up she cleared her throat.

He glanced up at her and smiled. "Hey, Clary. How are you today?"

She shrugged. "Good, I guess. I even brought you a present," she replied, scooting the coffee towards him.

He grinned at her. "You know just how to brighten my day," he said with a wink. "Speaking of brightening my day, seeing as it's Friday, it would make me extremely happy if you agreed to go to Pandemonium with me tonight after work."

Clary thought about it for a moment. On one hand, it seemed like a bad idea. But on the other hand, Jace had really been getting on her nerves and she felt like rebelling against him. She felt like he was crossing lines with her. Everyday he made snide comments about Sebastian and how dumb she was to not listen to him. If he was going to call her dumb, she was going to make sure she lived up to the title.

"Sure!" she replied as enthusiastically as she could. "We just have to leave work like a half hour early, okay?" she added after a second thought.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Trying to avoid your boyfriend?"

She shot him a glare. "He is _not_ my boyfriend. Now get out. I need to get to work."

Laughing, Sebastian left her to sort through a dusty pile of paintings.

After a few hours, Clary was finished with her task for the day. She had the paintings sorted into three piles: Display, Keep, and Sell. With her work done, she sat down on a crate and pulled out her sketchbook and pencils. She let her hand roam across the paper, not really paying attention to what she was drawing.

When she finished the drawing, she looked down to see she had drawn Isabelle and Simon. She let out a sigh of longing as she stared at the picture. She missed them both terribly and wished she could see at least one of them.

As she put away her sketchbook a thought suddenly came to her. If she was going to go to Pandemonium tonight, she definitely couldn't wear her work clothes. But she also couldn't stop by Jace's, which left her with one option.

* * *

Walking out of the back room, she searched for Sebastian until she found him lounging in Hodge's office.

"Hey, Clary. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he greeted with a smirk.

"Where's Hodge?" she asked with narrowed eyes, ignoring his question.

Sebastian shrugged. "He left for the day and asked me to keep an eye on things. Which is actually quite lucky because we can easily leave early now."

She nodded. "About that, can I borrow your phone? Mine's acting up and I really need to call a friend of mine before we go."

"Sure thing," he said, reaching into his pocket and tossing her his phone.

"Thanks! I'll only been a minute," she said before stepping out of the office.

She quickly typed in one of the few numbers she knew by heart and waited for the other person to pick up.

"Hello?" her best friend's voice came from the other end.

"Hey, Izzy. It's Clary. I need a favor from you."

"Clary? Is this really you? Aren't you supposed to be under lockdown with Jace and everything?"

"Yes, which is exactly why I need you to keep this conversation a secret. Even from Simon, but especially from Jace, okay?"

There was a sigh on the other end. "I don't know Clary..."

"Izzy, please. I'm begging you. I'm asking just this one little thing. I promise I'm not putting myself in danger or anything."

Izzy paused for a moment. "Alright. I'll keep it a secret. What do you need my help with?"

Clary exhaled loudly. "I can't believe I'm actually asking you this, but I need you to help me get ready to go to Pandemonium with coworker tonight."

"Now I really don't think this my Clary. My Clary would never in a million years willingly let me give her a makeover."

Clary smiled at that. "Well, I'm kind of rebelling against Jace tonight and I want to make sure I do it right."

"Okay. Well, just have your friend bring you by my house after work. I'll make sure Simon's out."

"Thank you, Izzy. You're the best!"

"I've been told," she laughed before hanging up.

Clary walked back into the office and handed the phone to Sebastian.

"So we're still on for tonight, right?" he asked.

Clary grinned at him. "Most definitely."

* * *

After they left the gallery, Sebastian drove Clary to Izzy's house, where she was immediately tackled into a bear hug. Sebastian left them to their reunion with a promise to come back to pick up Clary.

Once inside the house, Clary was immediately bombarded with questions, mainly about why she was so determined to go out tonight. Clary shrugged and looked at her best friend as they walked upstairs.

"Jace is just so overbearing. I mean, I understand that I'm under his protection and everything, but sometimes I feel like it's too much. I can't even talk to you for Christ's sake. And the only time I get to leave the house is to go to work and even then Jace criticizes Sebastian and the fact that I hang out with him. I just need to get out and have some fun that doesn't involve being surrounded by Jace and his security guards."

Izzy shot her a sympathetic look before digging through her closet. "Jace is definitely an overbearing person, but just try to look on the bright side. Soon they'll find your father and you'll be safe to go back to living a normal, Jace-free life."

She sat Clary down in a chair in front of her vanity and Clary looked at her in the mirror. "Yeah, but I don't know how much longer I can do this for. I've always been an independent person and right now I've lost basically all my freedom. Besides, the only reason I agreed to this stupid deal was to give Luke some peace of mind. If it weren't for him being so full of worry I never would have agreed to stay with Jace."

"The just explain that Luke. Tell him you miss your independence and can't stay with Jace anymore."

Clary groaned in frustration as Izzy started on her hair. "I can't do that, Isabelle. He's already gone through so much with me that I can't put him through anymore emotional turmoil. If I refuse to stay with Jace any longer, Luke will do nothing but worry about me and I can't let him do that. I can't distract him from his job or his life."

"Well, then it sounds like you're stuck with Jace. I just hope his reaction to you sneaking out isn't too bad."

Clary sighed at that. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Jace was most likely freaking out by now, trying to find out where she had disappeared to. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to find multiple missed calls from him. She quickly sent him a text informing him that she was safe and going out for the night and to not bother looking for her.

She sat in the chair as Izzy worked her magic and they talked about pointless gossip. Izzy filled her on everything she had been missing out on. Apparently she and Simon had been growing a lot closer over the past few weeks and she felt that he was going to propose soon, which really excited Clary. She believed that Simon and Izzy really deserved each other and hoped they ended up married.

When Izzy was finally finished, Clary looked at herself in the mirror and was amazed as usual. Izzy was amazing at doing makeovers and Clary always wondered why she didn't do it professionally. She had tamed Clary's curls so they were soft and smooth and laid against her lower back. She had applied light makeup but had managed to make Clary's emerald eyes stand out. Finally, she had squeezed Clary into a skin tight, strapless black dress that hugged her in all the right places. Clary was busy admiring Izzy's handiwork in the mirror when the doorbell rang.

"I think your friend is her to pick you up," Izzy said.

"I think you're right. Thanks so much, Izzy," she replied.

She simply shrugged. "Not a problem. And Clary? Promise me that if anything bad or even suspicious happens that you'll call Jace immediately? I don't want you to put your life in danger for one night of freedom."

Clary smiled at her friend. "I promise, Izzy. I'll be fine. Don't worry your pretty little head."

* * *

Once they entered the club, Clary was immediately hit with sound of pounding music and bright lights flashing across the dance floor. Right away, Sebastian pulled her to the bar and asked her what she wanted, to which she replied tequila shots. She was going to spend the night getting drunk and letting loose. She wanted to be able to forget that her psychopathic father wasn't after her and that she didn't have to spend most of her time locked up in Jace's mansion. Tequila was the perfect way to accomplish that.

After downing three shots, she let Sebastian lead her to the dance floor. He firmly planted his hands on her hips and she locked her arms around his neck as they started moving to the music together.

"I'm really glad you decided to come out with me tonight," he yelled over the blaring music.

"I'm really glad I did, too," she yelled back with a smile. She was being honest. Already she felt like a weight had been lifted of her shoulders. Right now, she felt like she didn't have a care in the world. All she had to worry about was dancing and having fun.

She danced to a few more songs with Sebastian before leaving him and returning to the bar, where she took a few more shots. Feeling the alcohol taking an effect, she moved back to the dance floor and entered the crowd of grinding bodies. She moved around from guy to guy, feeling light in her drunken haze. She was letting loose, which is exactly what she wanted.

Clary felt familiar hands grab her waist and spin her around. Looking up, she was met with Sebastian's dark eyes. He smirked down at her, but there was something predatory about it. However, she didn't notice it in her intoxicated state.

"Hey, Clary. I was wondering where you wondered off to," he murmured in her ear as she started grinding with him.

"I was just dancing, 'Bastian," she slurred, causing him to chuckle.

"Why don't we go somewhere a little more private?" he asked.

Not waiting for an answer, he grabbed her hand and dragged her through the crowd to the back of the club. He opened a door to what she guessed was a storage room and pulled her in. As soon as the door closed, Sebastian pushed her against a wall, his mouth on hers. Taken by surprise, she gasped, but quickly began kissing him back. She wasn't going to deny the fact that he was attractive and she didn't mind kissing him, especially with all the alcohol in her system. Plus, kissing him was another way to distract herself from her life.

When his hands began to wander up her legs and to the back of her thighs, she froze, but his hands kept moving up until they cupped her ass. She broke apart from him.

"Sebastian, no," she said, but her words still slurred lips moved down her jawline and to her neck. He kept going lower until he reached the swell of her breasts and he started kissing her there. "I'm serious, Sebastian. Stop," she said a little clearer this time.

He started kissing his way back up to her ear. "Come on, Clary. I know you want this," he whispered.

"No. I don't," she replied, pushing against him. He responded by pinning her to the wall with his body. He forced her legs up and wrapped them around his waist, hiking up her dress in the process. She felt him pressed up against her and let out a whimper. "Please, Sebastian. Stop," she said, tears leaking out from her eyes. The effects of the alcohol were quickly wearing off with all the adrenaline now coursing through her veins.

He ignored her protests and continued his assault. He moved his hands up and pulled down the top of her dress, exposing her bra. He groped her breasts as she continued to fight against him to no avail. She cried out for help, but knew it was useless. Nobody would hear her over the music.

"Shut up!" Sebastian yelled, slapping her across the face. Her head snapped to the side and she began crying harder. Sebastian slammed his mouth against hers as his hands continued to grab at her body. She bit his lip roughly and he pulled back before slapping her again, harder than last time. "You fucking bitch!" he screamed at her. "I was trying to play nice, but now it looks like I'm going to have to rush things," he growled before yanking down her panties.

"No! Sebastian, stop! Please. I'm begging you!" she sobbed.

He moaned in reply. "I like it when you beg," he responded as he tried to pull down his pants with hand while holding her against the wall with the other.

Clary entered complete panic mode and fought against him with all she had, but he didn't seem to be affected by any of it. He thrust a few of his fingers into her and she cried out in pain.

"Come on, Clary. Just let yourself enjoy it," he breathed into her ear.

Still sobbing, she cried out for help again. Only this time, the door to the storage room flew open and Sebastian was pulled off of her. Clary slid to the ground with her eyes closed and hugged her knees to her chest. She heard yelling and punches over her crying, but was still to afraid to open her eyes. She just hoped Sebastian was the one getting his ass kicked. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder and she let out a scream.

"Shhh. Clary, it's me," a familiar voice said.

She slowly opened her eyes to golden ones staring back at her. "Jace?" she whispered. He smiled at her nodded. Without a second thought, she threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest.

"Shhh. You're okay now," he said in comforting tone while rubbing soothing circles on her back. "But we really should get you out of here." He stood up, pulling her off the floor with him. Looking at her attire, he pulled of his suit jacket and helped her into it. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he led her to the back exit of the storage room.

Clary glanced around the room quickly, noticing Sebastian was nowhere to be seen. "Where did he go?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"Don't worry about it. Jordan's taking care of him," he responded before opening the door and leading her into the back alley where a black SUV was parked. He helped her into the passenger seat and then climbed into the driver's seat.

There was a heavy silence between them as he drove home and her sobs slowly quieted down until completely stopping. She stared straight ahead, afraid to look at Jace. He had been right about and she was waiting for the inevitable.

"So... Don't you have something to say?" she asked quietly, still not looking at him.

"Like what?"

"Like 'I told you so,'" she said, finally sneaking a glance at him.

He suddenly jerked the steering wheel and pulled over to the side of the road. He turned to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed and a slight anger brewing in his eyes. "Do you really think I'd say that after what just happened?" he asked, his voice slightly raised.

Clary flinched and looked down at her lap where she was pulling nervously at the hem of her dress. "I- I don't know. It's just, you were right about Sebastian and you told me you wouldn't hesitate to say 'I told you so' and I was just waiting for you to actually follow through."

"God, Clarissa," he sighed. "I would never, ever say that after what he just tried to do. I knew he was going to be an asshole, but I never expected this. I like being right, but I'm not really enjoying it right now."

"Oh," was all she managed to say in reply. After a few seconds, Jace pulled back on the road and continued the drive home.

"How'd you find me, anyway," she finally asked.

"I put a tracking device in your phone, which you left at Izzy's. I kept asking her to tell me where you went, but she was stubborn and wouldn't give me any information, saying she promised she wouldn't tell. But I kept bothering her and I finally said I was worried about you and how long you'd been away from any kind of surveillance and she eventually cracked. She told me you went to Pandemonium with Sebastian, so Jordan and I got there as fast as we could. I couldn't find you anywhere, so I went in the back hallway where it's quieter to try to call Sebastian to see where he was and if he was still with you. That's when I heard somebody crying for help and, well, you were there for the rest."

By the time he finished he was gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were white.

"I really am sorry, Jace. You have no idea how fucking sorry I am. I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"Yeah, well not thinking seems to be pretty common with you," he snapped.

"Jesus! That's exactly the problem! You can't keep belittling me and expect me to do what you tell me to!"

"Well excuse the fuck out of me! I didn't know you were a thirteen year old who acts out when they don't like what they're told. Grow up, Clarissa. What if I hadn't gotten there in time? What if Sebastian had gotten exactly what he wanted out of you? All that would have happened because you're an immature little bitch that can't handle the real world."

Clary stared at him with wide eyes. He looked at her and when he saw the tears threatening to spill over, the impact of what he had said suddenly hit him.

"Clary, I am so s-"

"Shut it, Jace," she cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."

The rest of the car ride was filled with a tense silence and the second they reached Herondale Manor, Clary jumped out and ran inside. She slammed the door to her room and locked it before entering the bathroom and yanking off her clothes. She turned the shower water on the hottest it could go and stepped in. Once in the safety of the shower, she let the tears run free again. The water burned her skin, but she didn't care. She wanted to burn away the memory of Sebastian's touch. She spent the better part of an hour scrubbing herself raw. By the time she stepped out of the shower, her skin was red and blotchy.

After putting on a pair of pajamas, she threw her dress into the trash and picked up Jace's jacket. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked down the hallway to find Jace, and eventually found him in the living room. He was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the black TV screen.

"Here's your jacket back," she said, causing him to jump slightly.

He took the jacket from her and pulled her down to sit next to him. "Listen, Clary. I really am sorry for what I said. I was just angry and didn't think before acting. I just-"

She held up her hand to silence him. "It's fine Jace. You had every right to say that to me. I was stupid and I fucked up and I deserved every word and worse," she said, tears stinging the back of her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night.

Jace took her by surprise and pulled her into his chest. "It's not fine, Clary. And you didn't deserve it at all. You didn't deserve anything that happened to you tonight. Yes, you did behave stupidly, but that doesn't mean you deserve to have something like that happen to you and you definitely didn't deserve to hear the things I said. I'm truly sorry, Clarissa."

Clary didn't know how to respond to him, so she didn't. Instead, she closed her eyes and enjoyed his warm, safe embrace before sleep pulled her under.

* * *

**Well... I'm super sorry about the late update. Life just kinda got in the way, I guess. Anyway, I made this chapter longer in an attempt to make up for it. And I'm also sorry if it seems kind of rushed but I know where I want to take this story, it's just hard getting it there right now.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated.**


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